Chapter 9: The Chemical Manufacturing Plant

If Casey didn't know Ruth so well, she would assume Ruth was calm while helping her sew the camera button onto her shirt. However, she could tell from Ruth's demeanour that she was worried; Ruth repeated at least three times, “Casey, this is really going to help.”

As Casey embarked on her visit to the manufacturing plant, she felt confident. She chose to take the long route and drive to the plant, which sat neatly within the landscape. She had passed the building many times but never entered it. However, her confidence wavered slightly when the director appeared at the entrance

​She instinctively took a step back when he walked out to greet her; he had the same dark eyes and aggressive demeanour as Harold Olderstone, the head of security. Casey’s discomfort escalated when his first words to her were gruffly, “Show me your security badge.” Trying to remain composed, she held out her hand, and he scanned the chip embedded in her wrist.

​His expression softened once he confirmed she was the person he was expecting. He introduced himself as Donald Olderstone, making it clear he was related to Harold. His demeanour seemed genuinely warm as he welcomed her: “I’m so pleased to meet you; I’ve heard so much about you from your father.” He kept repeating, “A wonderful, wonderful, wonderful man.”

Although Casey relaxed a little, she remained friendly yet cautious, based on what she had learned from her father, Percy's files, and the Alliance. She hadn’t told her father she was visiting the plant; she felt it would take a few more days before she could face him again. However, she didn’t want him to hear about her visit from someone else, and with Donald seemingly friendly with her father, she thought it best to send him an Airplay message as soon as she left.

This was her first visit since starting at the lab, and it was immediately clear that she would need the help of Donald and his team to navigate the complexities of the networked systems confronting her.

From the outside, the plant appeared sleek and resembled a massive concrete block. However, inside, it seemed deceptively small. There was no indication from the exterior that anything was being fed into the building for production, nor did it look like anything was coming out. If someone didn’t know better, they would assume it was simply an empty block of concrete rather than a symbol of technological prowess.

The facility was predominantly self-sustaining, so aside from Donald, she met only two other people during her visit: Alexa and Izzy. It operated with a level of precision and efficiency made possible by cutting-edge robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced computer systems.

Rather than the vast, sterile hallways Casey had expected, the plant featured many divided spaces that felt strangely intimate. This warmth might have been due to the delicate tasks being performed by robots that looked like humans housed in glass cubicles.

There were no conveyor belts. Donald explained, “An intricate network of AI-controlled robots entirely runs the whole plant. These robots, designed with precision and dexterity, handle everything from the synthesis of chemicals to the packaging and sealing of products. They manage complex chemical processes with minute adjustments, optimising efficiency, safety, and product quality in real-time.”

Casey observed that the robots engaged in quality control, conducting tests and analysing samples on the fly to ensure that each batch of chemicals met the stringent safety and quality standards.

Izzy oversaw the facility's central brain, a supercomputer that constantly monitored and adjusted production. Casey was eager to examine the supercomputer reports, as it collected data from sensors embedded in every piece of machinery and within the chemicals themselves, assessing variables such as temperature, pressure, viscosity, and chemical reactions.

Alexa seemed to have boundless energy, and in her initially professional voice, she explained the section she was responsible for, "this system coordinates logistics.. hiccup... ensuring that raw materials are always available ...hiccup... when needed ...hiccup...". Nobody seemed to notice the hiccups except Casey. Alexa continued proudly, "Finished products are seamlessly shipped to their destinations by autonomous drones ... hiccup... or if needed ground vehicles ...hiccup...."

Casey responded less formally, "I don't see any of the chemicals. Where are they?"

"Oh," replied Donald, "that all happens beneath us. Below the floor we're standing on is a complex web of pipes and tunnels linked directly to the different communities that provide the various chemicals."

At first, Casey thought the computers in Alexa’s area were extremely quiet; as she got closer, she noticed they were in standby mode, with all the lights yellow. Keeping the focus specifically on lysoid, she said, “I’d like to see that, particularly the tunnels and pipes for lysoid.”

Suddenly, the atmosphere turned icy; it wasn't the room temperature that changed but the way the three of them looked at each other, then at her. Before she could react, Donald yelled in the same tone he used when he asked for her security badge, "Why?".

"It's why I'm here," she responded, a little shocked. "The seawater membrane pouches are lacking lysoid, and I think the problem might be within the assembly process," Casey replied, trying to sound as professional as possible.

In that moment, it felt as though she was now a stranger—someone who had broken into their facility and posed a threat. The three of them huddled closer together, making Casey feel like a predator.

​Donald’s voice was stern when he said, “You will need a higher security clearance than you have to go below. I’ll show you out.” Wanting to shift the mood back to the friendly atmosphere it had been just minutes before and reluctant to leave, she replied, “Okay, I don’t need to go down there, but maybe you can help me extract some information so I can determine whether the problem lies below us or somewhere else.”

It was difficult for her to focus on what Alexa was saying next, as nearly every second word, this time, was interrupted by hiccups. “I can… hiccup… tell you… hiccup… whatever you… hiccup… need to know.” Trying to be pleasant and non-threatening, Casey responded, “Great, thanks.”

​Then she made her second mistake by asking, “It looks like these computers are in standby mode; is that going to make it difficult to extract the data?”

They exchanged glances again, and Donald tried to add a friendly tone to his voice. He smiled awkwardly and said, “Oh, we should have mentioned that this area is down for maintenance, so any reports you need will have to be AirPlayed to you tomorrow.” He then extended his arm, guiding her toward the exit. “Now that you’ve seen the plant, I’ll show you out.”

Casey felt uneasy. She had not conducted the detailed assessment she had planned, and she was suspicious about why any of these systems needed to be in standby mode. However, not wanting to come across as a troublemaker, she said her goodbyes and allowed Donald to escort her out.

As she drove back to the lab, a sense of suspicion settled over Casey. The chemical plant was the pinnacle of technological integration, where every process was seamlessly automated, monitored, and optimised by AI and robotics. It produced highly specialised chemical products in satchels with remarkable efficiency, precision, and safety. Yet, Casey felt a growing perplexity as she struggled to access the information she needed and understand why the computers needed to be down for maintenance or in standby mode; this baffled her. 

As she recalled how Alexa's hiccup frequency increased with each of her questions, she couldn't shake the feeling that this might be a sign of nervousness, hinting at something deliberately concealed.